DAWDLES Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

dawdles

verb

present tense third-person singular of dawdle

as in lingers

to move or act slowly if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure

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as in lazes

to spend time doing nothing accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dawdles But Koreeda dawdles over all that without ever finding much dramatic nuance, making for a dullish midsection. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026 But while the new movie dawdles on its way to Toxie’s origins, then rushes toward a finale with a lurching rhythm that verges on calculated ineptitude, its spirit never feels inauthentic. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdles

Verb

Lingering at the ventanita the way Malik Willis lingers in the pocket before taking a sack?

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Corduroy’s dusty reputation still lingers, but the material itself has become more supple, richer, and far more sophisticated in recent years.

— John Vorwald, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of lingers

Verb

As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.

— Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.

— Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2025

Definition of idles

Verb

Even if Illinois delays its natural gas plant closings, the state will need more batteries, and Richardson is rushing to provide them.

— John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
In this scenario, the heart attack now drives the pricing, while the prostate cancer delays the application.

— Howard Wolinsky, STAT, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of delays

Verb

However, Fed officials fear that the longer the war drags on, the higher the likelihood that the spike will make its way through the broader economy and become embedded in consumer and business expectations.

— Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
As the comet rotates, fresh ice enters the sunlight and sublimates; the escaping gas then drags entrained dust particles away from the nucleus.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of drags

Verb

The prime minister said the path to creating work for all the country’s school leavers rests on developing the private sector through investment.

— Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026
The series, which comprises eight 45-minute episodes, is set in the near future, at a time when humanity’s survival rests on a new generation of elite pilots.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of rests

Verb

There’s also a less than 10% chance of showers, if one of the hurricanes crawls farther up the coast, according to Wofford.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Hairy-nosed wombat births are hard to spot, as after about a 30-day pregnancy, the joey crawls into its mother’s pouch.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawls

Verb

Meanwhile, Vision loses control of Ultron’s prison, and Ultron strolls free.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
When Denny strolls in, his parents figure out the mistake, their relief tested by the kidnapper’s insistence that the ransom remains the same.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of strolls

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“Dawdles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdles. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of dawdles

verb

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